eub | cat fostering

Today I went to the Seattle Animal Shelter's monthly orientation session for prospective cat foster parents. One thing I hadn't realized was that the single most common reason for fostering out a shelter cat is that it has an upper respiratory infection, and will do better in a low-stress environment (plus, the shelter's isolation space for contagious cats is limited). Others are kittens needing socialization, kittens without a mother, and injured cats. The shelter and the fosterer try to place the cat for adoption directly out of foster care, and they figure usually a few weeks to a couple of months, depending on what the cat needs to recover from, and then how irresistable they are to adopters.

So, I'm thinking of fostering a cat, a relatively easy non-feral non-kitten to start with, since [ominous chords] I have not actually kept a cat.

Logistics:

Would need to be a cat that will be okay during weekdays. Looking ahead, I might be away for a day or two around Thanksgiving, and will be for a week around Christmas; would need help there. Other cat-fosterers can often cover if that becomes necessary.

Cat paraphernalia:

Food. Shelter suggests "Science Diet Growth" (for older cats too?).

Food and water dishes.

Litterbox.

Litter. They say non-clumping for cats under six months; otherwise unspecified.

Scratching post. Cardboard kind will do.

Cardboard crate from shelter usable both as carrier and as hiding place?

Odor neutralizer.

What else?

House prep:

One bathroom can be cat-owned.

Houseplants which are non-toxic: orchid, mint, African violet, mother fern, ginger (presumably), bay (presumably).
Toxic, but dead anyway: tomato plant.
Unknown: Australian tree fern. "True ferns" are reported as okay.

May be best to clear precarious stacks of cruft off high horizontal surfaces.

Pin up blinds cords.

What am I not thinking of?

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Some cats react to bay leaf as to catnip, as you might remember from Squeak's hair-chewing fetish. I recommend getting bulk wheat grains from PCC and growing your own cheap cat-grass; a pot in a wide saucer with water in it is very good at sprouting the wheat and doubles as Interesting Water for drinking.

The ground corn litter that I use is safe for kittens, clumps, and is flushable. Also it tends to smell less, whether that is from natural corn enzymes as they claim or what. It costs more, but it's much more pleasant to deal with than most kinds of litter.

In my experience, blinds cords can be slipped through blinds to stay out of chewing range, but if you want to tack you should tack. You're terribly tidy, so I can't think of anything dangerous you'd have lying around. Some cats can open cabinets, though, so you might get baby-locks for the ones that have dangerous chemicals in.

Yay cat.

Hm, right, so I may need to protect the bay. Cat-grass and corn litter sound good; thanks.

Terribly tidy, my foot.

Cats also love toys. They're easily amused; a little fluff and/or a ball of foil that crinkles are irrestible. Catnip toys are also, if they like catnip.

You'll love cat-dom.

Yeah, I'm not too concerned about toy supply, since I can see three likely ones from where I sit.

I also just stick blind cords up through a higher up slat and just try to make sure the cords are out of reach of my cats. I also sometimes end up opening the blinds pretty high to keep Marlowe from licking them (why he does this, I do not know, but it makes an annoying sound!).

Some cats and kittens love to chew on cords. I lost a lot of computer mice that way when Inky was young. So having cords as out of the way as possible can be a good thing. Some people put "bitter apple" or other bitter stuff on any cords that are out to try and discourage cats from chewing on them. Other people have no problem whatsoever with cats chewing cords. Mileage (and cats) vary.

Everyone has different preferences re litter. I've been lucky in that my cats don't seem to mind if I change litter or litter boxes on them, they still always use the cat box for it's intended purpose. I used to use clumping litter, but with two cats in the end I've ended up using the less expensive non-clumping litter and just changing the whole box once a week (or more often if it starts to smell).

There is litter that one can supposedly flush down toilets without problem. There are a zillion catbox and litter options out there.

Oh! Lots of litter is supposedly "non-tracking," but the reality is that litter gets stuck to cats paws sometimes. Having a mat of some sort right outside the cat box that will help get the litter off their feet right there is a good thing. Less cat litter tracked around the rest of the place or for the cat to lick off their paws. There are bumpy plastic ones, there are ones that look a lot like doormats (heck, one could probably use a doormat).

I've used Science Diet cat food for my cats as long as I've had them. Growth is likely good for kittens or undernourished adult cats. I've had my cats on "Feline Maintenance Light" for ages because one of 'em tends to eat a lot and weighs a bit more than he should (my other cats weight has remained just what it should be). I "open feed" so always have food out for them, some people think this is a bad idea but it has mostly worked for me (except for Inky weighing a little more than he probably should). I only feed them dry food. Rarely give them treats and then they're cat treats. Some of the Science diet food now comes in "hairball control" formulas as well. I've tried this, but haven't noticed that it made much of a difference.

Oh! It might be good to have some hairball remedy on hand. I use the stuff that comes in a tube and just feed my cats an inch or so of the stuff off my finger each week (unless I suspect they've got a hairball issue, then I give it to them more often). 'Course some cats (especially shorthaired ones) don't have trouble with hairballs much at all. There are also some cat treats that have anti-hairball properties built in (just as there are some that are supposedly good for "tartar control").

You might want a good brush to use on cats. I have this soft rubber brush ("Zoom Groom") that my cats absolutely love. It must be like getting a really good massage or something. Brushing can be good bonding time if the cats like it.

Having a clipper for trimming cats nails (if you have cats who aren't declawed) can be useful, though honestly a nail clipper one uses for humans can be used in a pinch too. But if you aren't having cats for that long at a time or who are declawed, may not be necessary.

Eep, my first worry is not the computer cables but the electrical cords. I'll have to watch out for that.

Lots of good things I hadn't thought of. Thanks!

You've NEVER had a cat live with you?
Wow. I can't imagine. I grew up with lots of pets and after I moved out I at least always had one cat with me.
You're in for a treat! :)

I've lived in a house with cats, one of whom spent all her time up on my floor because she was terrified of the big bouncy soul-crushingly dumb dog. So I've had a cat puke on my chest at three in the morning, at least. But haven't been the primary cat caregiver.

Cats are fun!

Toys are a good idea. You don't have to buy them; cats will chase wadded-up paper/foil around. Laser pointers provide hours of fun. Having something on a fishing pole (to get the cat to jump up) can be fun; expect to replace strings.

If you're trying to modify behavior, some (food) treats might help. Or might not; it depends on the cat. Baldur never got the connection; Erik did.

Even the litter that's supposed to be flushable can be hard on older plumbing. I always go the trash route rather than the flush route. This means either a dedicated (small) trash can (with tight lid) near the litter box or a supply of plastic bags so you can carry it outside.

I don't know how common this is, but my cats seem to prefer scratching horizontally to scratching vertically. So they love those cardboard things (I just throw 'em on the floor) but ignore scratching posts. YMMV.

When you get to small kittens you might want to cultivate the "toilet lid down when not in use" habit. (It's a drowning hazard.) Adults will drink out of the bowl if given access; you get to decide if that's any more gross than the other things their mouths come in contact with.

Retractable furniture can be a risk for smaller animals; be careful when getting up out of the recliner or packing up the sleeper sofa. (Not that the latter probably comes up much for you, but I do know someone who had an unfortunate feline accident with one.)

Cat-proofing is different from kid-proofing because cats climb. So look around, and look up, to see what might be at risk. Fragile knick-knacks on the mantle? Stacks of papers on the tops of bookcases? Access to crawl spaces via rafters?

Thank you! Yeah, something may have to be done with the hardware shelves, and the electronics tower. Oh, hm, the synthesizer keyboards.

... but after reading your post here I read this post (in another forum but lj has the pictures).

She sounds like a charming critter. But yeah, aside from the 15-year commitment there's that I find I'm in a relatively good situation to do fostering (don't have another cat who would resent it, for example), so I think it would be good to do.

Actually, given the need for me cats who need fostering it is a good thing. And you will be greatly rewarded for your good deed. A kitty in the home is a good, good thing.

cat fostering

Logistics:

Cat paraphernalia:

House prep:

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this may be more committment than you are ready for ...

Re: this may be more committment than you are ready for ...

Committment phobe!